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Bob's in Mashpee, Massachusetts, where the four affordable homes are nearing completion. An 84 percent efficiency, sealed-combustion Burnham Spirit boiler will allow the homeowner to finish off the basement at a later date, since it can be enclosed without concern for combustion air. It is made of cast iron, has a 25 to 40 year life expectancy, and carries standard parts, so repairs will be simple and fast. The interior is painted by CertaPro painters using Sherwin Williams' Duration Home latex paint enhanced with acrylic polymers for durability and washability. Joann Borges shows Bob how spraying at a distance of 12 inches from the wall, covering ceilings, walls, trim, and doors, makes for speedy, even coverage throughout. Borges also shows the crew cutting into a wall with a 2 inch angled brush and rolling with an 18-inch roller for quick application. Sequoia Cabinetry's solid-wood, Maple cabinets with concealed hinges are installed in the kitchen. Kenneth Carmode of WW Wood and Jim Wagoner of Falmouth Lumber go through the installation process with Bob. John Spellman of Cape Cod Counter Works installs shop-made laminate counters, scribing and sanding the back to fit a bowed wall and accommodate the free-standing range.

Part 1: Efficient Burnham Boiler for Heat and Hot Water

Bob visits with Mark Lundquist of Burnham Hydronics to check out the boiler for the hot-water heating system being installed in the Mashpee, Massachusetts, affordable homes. This Burnham Spirit model is a medium efficiency, easy-to-maintain, sealed-combustion unit. Since it is sealed combustion, it pulls the air it needs directly from the outdoors and vents to the exterior without the use of a chimney or flue. This enables a homeowner to close off the space surrounding the boiler without worrying about available combustion air for the furnace. This model uses standard parts, so any repairs will be fast and easy. The boiler is made of cast iron and has a 25 to 40 year life expectancy. It operates at 84 percent efficiency, so the homeowner will use energy dollars wisely. Charlie Delvecchio of Cape Plumbing breaks out the cost of the boiler to about $1,500 and the baseboard tubing for another $6,000, for a total cost of $7,500 for installation of the home heating system. The domestic hot-water tank is linked to the heating system as hot water from the boiler passes through a coil in the insulated hot-water tank, warming the household water through energy exchange. If the water is maintained at the proper temperature just from this passive exchange, the boiler will never be called upon to heat water for faucets and showers.

This project deals with two very different notions of home. Bob begins on New York City's Upper West Side, where an 1890s Brownstone is revitalized through high-quality craftsmanship and sensitive design. New York's past meets its present, as the entire floor is recaptured and refurbished to create a spacious urban apartment on the doorstep of Central Park.

At the same time, Bob works with a Cape Cod developer to apply Massachusetts land use statute 40B to create affordable housing, and a neighborhood of homes in Mashpee, MA. These Energy Star certified homes show how quality building practices and reasonable asking prices can work together to provide livable, affordable homes and neighborhoods to those who work in our communities.